Uzbekistan to abolish the Cinematography Agency: the film industry will be transferred to the Ministry of Culture, and Uzbekfilm will become a national film company

President announces abolition of the Cinematography Agency

On October 26, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with film industry figures at the Uzbekfilm studio and announced a series of reforms aimed at moving to a compact, modern system of state governance for the industry. This was reported by Kun.uz, UzNews.uz and Spot.uz. According to the president, the functions of industry governance, its financing and film production will be clearly separated.

Powers transfer to the Ministry of Culture

The Cinematography Agency will be abolished, and the powers to implement state policy in the field of cinema will be transferred to the Ministry of Culture. A Department of Cinematic Arts will be created within the ministry (Spot.uz calls it the Department of the Film Industry), and its head will hold the status of a deputy minister. Responsible officials have been tasked with setting up the department within a month and ensuring the abolition of the agency and the organizations in its system.

Uzbekfilm to become a national film company without its own production

The state institution Uzbekfilm will be abolished and replaced by the National Film Company Uzbekfilm, operating on the basis of a modern business model. It is to become a hub and the main operator for building the national film brand and developing the film industry. At the same time, the company will not produce films itself: film production will fully move to the private sector. Uzbekfilm will handle the selection and financing of projects, promotion and distribution, as well as bringing films to international markets and festivals. The company has been ordered to launch in its new format within a week.

Moving from state orders to subsidies

In film financing, the practice of state orders is being replaced by a subsidy-based support system. “From now on, the state will be not a customer of films, but a reliable partner of creators and the private sector”, Zamon.uz quotes the president. In film production, priority will be given to the creative process rather than technical specifications. The new financing mechanism is to be implemented within a month, and starting next year budget funds will be allocated annually upon request of the national film company.

Context and significance

Spot previously reported that Uzbekistan may exempt private theaters and cinematography from taxes. The reform affects the entire film industry chain — from producers and studios to audiences: private studios become the main producers of films, and their financing will switch from state orders to subsidies within the coming month. Practical deadlines are set strictly: one week to launch the national film company and one month to abolish the agency and implement the new financing mechanism. Details of the subsidies and the fate of specific organizations within the agency's system have not yet been disclosed.